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The Five Year War
The Five Year War, also known as the GA-Mandalorian War, was a conflict fought between the Galactic Alliance and the Mandalorians during 594-599 ABY. The results of this war brought about the Crescendo Era. Origins In 589 ABY, Jax Beviin was selected as the new Mandalore. Secretly he promoted a mass building program of the newly developed AE-drone missiles by MandalMotors. The new drones were far cheaper than their old predecessors, and Beviin intended to use them in his planned offensive against the GA. By 594 ABY, the Mandalorians had a sufficient stockpile of the missiles and a substantial fleet with which to wage war. After five long years of escalated mobilization, Beviin declared war against the Galactic Alliance, confident that the power he held win secure his victory. At the time, the Galactic Alliance was led by Chief of State Sarhk Crevas, a leader who had enjoyed a rather uneventful term as chief of state. The GA also lacked the support of the Jedi as the Order was still suffering from an internal civil war brought about by the death of the last Jedi Grandmaster in 591 ABY. It was most likely that the disorder among the Jedi prompted the Mandalorians to ultimately launch their offensive. History Unleashing a Juggernaut The war began with a orchestrated spearhead of the Mandalorian Fleet as it launched from the Outer Rim toward the Core. Using mass drone missile attacks, the Mandalorian Fleet was unstoppable. Two GA fleets were wiped out in the first month. A dozen systems fell to Mandalorian control. By the end of the year, the Mandalorians were poised for a final attack to sack Coruscant itself. The Coruscant Offensive On the first day of the new year, the Mandalorians launched their Coruscant offensive. However the battle for Coruscant did not take place of the galaxy's capital, but over its nearby neighbor, Bessimir. The Galactic Alliance was well aware of the impending strike, and had gathered nearly all of its fleets for the battle. What resulted was the largest space battle in recorded history. The battle was an ad hoc affair that ended without a clear victor. Losses were surprisingly light on both sides, as neither fleet was willing to risk any bold action that might lose war. Regardless, the Mandalorians withdrew and the GA counted it as a victory since the threat against Coruscant had been temporarily relieved. But the Mandalorians were not done yet. Twice more, the Mandalorians launched an attack against Bessimir, and this time they came close to victory. Alas the arrival of three more GA fleets forced the Mandalorians to forfeit the victory in order to avert a deadly pincer. At this point the GA decided to take the initiative and launched their own offensive against Anaxes, where the Mandalorian Fleet had retreated. Just two weeks after the Third Battle of Bessimir, the GA's First, Second, and Third Fleet engaged the Mandalorians in a staggered salient. The Mandalorian Fleet, now holding the advantage of a replenished supply of drones, easily repulsed the attack and launched a counter assault of their own. The GA was routed with significant losses and was forced to retreat.For several more months the GA and the Mandalorians launched probes and feints in the Core without either side gaining an advantage. The Jedi Offensive By the third quarter of 595 ABY, a new Jedi Grandmaster had been chosen, Ahdar Grae. With his appointment came a renewed vow of support from the Jedi Order to the Galactic Alliance. Two fierce battles were fought above Ylix and Mimban with the Jedi squeezing hard pressed victories away from the Mandalorians. Small skirmishes followed all across the outer rim as new worlds rallied to the Mandalorian banner, many of them opposed to the ominous alliance between the Jedi Order and the Galactic Alliance government. As small fleets engaged on far reaching border planets, the Mandalorians prepared for a major assault on the Calamari System. Word of the impending attack spread and the GA gathered a fleet for its defense. What followed was a bitter defeat for the GA. The Battle of Mon Calamari also marked a shift in GA propaganda. Thus far the Mandalorians' heavy recruitment of conquered worlds had gone unnoticed. But with the fall of Mon Calamari and the sudden appearance of Quarren shock troops wearing the familiar T-visored helmets, the holonews companies went on a rampage. The Mandalorians were labeled as barbarians and claims were made that they were enlsaving captured worlds. Regardless of the claims, the war continued across the Mid, Outer, and Inner Rim. The Mandalorian Fleet had splintered into a dozen task forces razing destruction at seemingly random targets. The GA Navy was forced to splinter off their efforts in wide defense screen. Then a sudden break through occurred. Kola Quie, a GA scientist, made a discovery with the current shield technology. By simply modifying the structure and mechanics of the generators, the GA shields could be tweaked to block the devastating effects of the AE drone missiles. Immediately all GA ships were issued with the new modifications and within a month's time, things started turning around. Two deep raids into Mandalorian territory showed the success of the new shields. The battles of Togoria and Phindar both ended with stunning victories for the GA. The GA Offensive With the GA's new shield technology and the support of the Jedi Order, the Mandalorians were put on the defensive. Several battles on the Hydian Way caused the Mandalorians to lose their hold Expansion Region and key allies along the Rimma Trade Route were lost as a result. Soon the Mandalorians shifted their strategy to ground based battles, using their fleets as quick strike escorts for massed transport attacks, Rendili being one of the first planets to witness the new tactic. As events unfolded, the GA gained supremacy of the space lanes while the Mandalorian went about harassing worlds deep within GA controlled territory. Meanwhile the Mandalorian Fleet played a game of hide and seek with the patroling the GA Fleets. While the GA was thoroughly occupied, the Mandalorians built up a second fleet formed extensively by their new allies. This 'auxilliary' fleet used exterior beskar hull plates and massed drone batteries to augment the new forces, but the vessels were still inferior to the mainline Mandalorian ships. The year continued with Jedi-GA victories. The Holonews made heroes out of particular Jedi, and their prominence grew with every battle. Yet a strange foreboding had sunk into the war as less and less was heard from the Mandalorians. It seemed they had forfeited the initiative completely to the GA. Mandalorian Counteroffensive Midway through 597 ABY, the Mandalorians finally launched their surprise offensive. Umbara, Zeltros, and Commenor were attacked simultaneously. Then Recopia and Sarapin were sacked in the Core. A brutal onslaught was unleashed on Enrth, followed by a spearhead along the Rimma Trade Route. Attack after attack kept the GA and the Jedi scrambling to the defense. After six months of non-stop coordinated lightning attacks, the Mandalorians secured nearly half the galaxy through control of the major hyperlanes. The Jedi Offensive In 598 ABY the Jedi unleased a strategic campaign to retake the major hyperlanes. One by one, key worlds were captured from the Mandalorians. By the end of the year, the Corellian Run and the Corellian Trade Spine were back in GA hands. However the Mandalorians still controlled the Perlemian and the Rimma Trade Routes. The Rimma was still bitterly contested with each side controlling roughly half of the route. The Battle of the Mists see The Battle of the Transitory Mists Sporadic battles occurred throughout the galaxy as both sides tried to gain obscure advantages. Finally the GA devised a trap for the Mandalorians and lured them into the Hapes Consortium, trapping them in the Transitory Mists. There the GA 5th Fleet and the Hapans pinned the Mandalorian High Command in a deadly vice, forcing the Mandalore to surrender. Yet politics intervened as GA Chief of State Crevas ordered the Mandalorians wiped out without surrender. The 5th Fleet Admiral, Kas Haan, and the Queen Mother Mehn both refused to carry out the Chief of States wish. Admiral Klasun was tasked to take over and the Mandalorian Fleet was destroyed. Jedi intervention prevented the execution of the Mandalorian High Command, and the Mandalore and his subordinates were whisked away to the Jedi Temple at Kashyyyk. When Crevas ordered the Jedi Temple attacked, Haan and Mehn forced the arrest of Crevas. At that point, the war was over. Haan became the new Chief of State and the Mandalorian's surrender was accepted. Aftermath With the High Command exiled on Felucia, the Mandalorians slowly regrouped to Mandalorian Space, many of them returning to their old ways as mercenaries. The rest of the galaxy went about rebuilding what was destroyed. After the war, Jena Skywalker left the Jedi Order- feeling that Ahdar Grae's misjudgment about the Galactic Alliance would be the Jedi's downfall. Grae still supported the Galactic Alliance, stating that Kas Haan would protect them. Meanwhile, many Jedi feared that Ahdar Grae did not have the cooperation or insight to be Grand Master, and a staunch opposer of his rule was Daven Solo. Solo, and the other Jedi who followed him, represented a large number of the Jedi Order, and were backed up by the Galactic Alliance senator from Kashyyyk- Atteshack, or Shack for short. By 600 ABY, many planets were rallying against the Galactic Alliance despite Kas Haan's pleas for peace, in fear that the Alliance would commit an atrocity again. These are the events that brought about the Crescendo Era. Participants Galactic Alliance *Galactic Alliance Fleet *Imperial Fleet *Hapan Fleet *Corellian Home Fleet Mandalorians *Mandalorian Fleet See Also *Crescendo Behind the Scenes